Combination science table and classroom desk



Amin zgwz, 3,5%?573 W. CALDWELL ET AL COMBIEJTOH SCIENCE TABLE AND CLASS ROOM DSK Filed May 26. 1924 5 Sheeis-'Sheei l Aplf 22H 92@ l W. CALNLL A comxzwxom scmnc' TABLE AND GLASS Room :msx Filled may 2e, "19e-i o. w. CALDWELL ET AL Y COMBINATION SCIENCE v'l'.XBLE'AND CLASS ROOM DESK Filed May 26. 1924 5 Sheets-shew 5 Ama m ww @52573 G. W, QALDWELL. ET AL GOMBIBATIQN SCIENCE TABLE AND GLAS-S ROOM DESK Filed 26. 1924 5 S'heeris-She'et 4 April 27,;1926. 1,582,573

O. W. CALDWELL ET AL COMBINATION SCIENCE TABLE AND CLASS ROCH DFJ'SKl Filed May 26. 1924 5 SheetS4Sheet 5 0151 0775 u@ csf/MA1 fff/ Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED Html-3 O'IS W. CALDWELL AND EARL B. GLENN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO KE- WAUNEE MFG. C0., OIF KEWAUNEL', WSCONSIN. CORPORATION 0E' WISCONSIN.

COMBINATION SCIENCE TABLE AND CLASSROOM DSK.

Application filed May 26,

T 0 all lwhomy it Amay' concern:

Be it. known tliat we, Oris W, C iLnwnm. and EARL R. GLENX, citizens of the United States, residing at New York, in the county ot' New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Science Tables and Classroom Desks, ot which the following is a description.

' Our invention belongs to that general .class ot devices known as laboratory apparatus and more particularly to a' science laboratory or class room table or desk particularly adapted for school, college and university purposes, but which may be employed wherever ound-aapplieable in educatfonal and industrial institutions.

The invention. has amen' its objects the production of a combination table of. the kind described which is simple, convenient, compact, durable; attractive and elicient. It has-particularly as an object the production of a` table adapted for use in physics, chemistry` biology, general science and agricultural laboratories for both laboratory i and recitation periods, and` to enable use ot laboratory as a class room by non-science students, or in industrial institutions where it is desired that the workers have certain conveniences or'apparatus in common and some individually.

ll'hile the installation is economical, the chief merits of theA invention are in its advantages for educational use, which may be briefly stated asftoll'ows:

All the science -workcan be done by the student in one room and'in one place.A Students face the instructor all the time. Provides adequately for conit'ortable work ina standing or vvsitting position, thus making it.

possible for the students to write up notes, make drawings, do reference reading. per ,'form'laboratory experiments or' observe '-.demonstrations by instructor. Also permits vinstructor to give demonstrations, quizzes, direct reference work andV bold class discussions in the same room at any time duringthe science period, thus eliminating iixed laboratory and demonstration schedules. Apparatus is stored where used. Provides individual storage spaces for students. The instructor can sce the entire class at work from any location, and his 1324-. Serial No 715,936.

labor is 'reduced by .concentrating all tools. materials and equipment in a much smaller floor space than usual in the design requiring separate class room or lecture room and laboratory. It permits the laboratorv to be used as a class room by non-science classes. i

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosures herein given.'

vTo this end our invention consists in the novel constructionA` ,arrangement and combination ot parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

`In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one type ot' table which can be used for physics and chemistry;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view takensubstantially on line 2&2 ot Fig. l, a portion' broken away; p

F 3 is 'a horizontal sectional view;

Fig. et is an end elevation;

Fig. 5 illustrates'a diagrannnatical and sectonal unit construction; and' licr.` t3 a perspective view illustrating one type ot intereomiection between the sectional units. I

Flg. T is a cross sectional view similar to Fig'. 2 taken at another point.; i

Fig. S is an end elevation of a. portion of the construction illustrating a' suitable arrangement ofthe plumbing, etc.,

Fig. S) is u sectional view taken lengthwise through the table illustrating the plumbing.. etc.,

Fig. l() is a sectional view illustrating the i top elevation of the plumbing in the tunnel:

Fig. ll is a perspective view illustratingA 'a modified type of table;

lQ'is a digranunatie. view illustrating; one type ot' unit construction;

Fie'. 1B is a'similar view illustratingl another type;

Fig. l-l is a similar view illustrating another type; and y Fig. 15 isa similar view illustrating;Y still another type.

loo I Referring to the drawings, in which a table particularl;T adapted for chemistry or like laboratory Worn is illustrated, we have shown in Fig. l a portion of a plurality of units. The particular table illustrated consists of what may be termed a central portion l, adapted to be used in common by two students, and portions 2 and 2', adapted t0 be used individually by the two stu ents Workin on opposite sides of portion l. Generally speaking, the table is made up of a central portion with tables extending from both sides at intervals, the length. d opending upon the number of students to be accommodated.

The central portion l We generaliTr prefer to nialre in the 'forni of a cabinet. 3, provided with a sink 4 with the usual water supply 5. This cabinet may be provided with suitable drawers or nornpartrnents for the storage of Vequipment and the personal effects of .the student, the particular table shown having a recess G and drawers 7, as Well, a conipartment closed by the door 8. The recess 6 may be provided with a drop door and the recess employed for any' desired storage. For example, a tray may be employed on top of the bottle raclt and made ot suitable material so that the bottles can be lifted oil' the rack and with one .movement placed in the recess.

The table arts 2 and 2 are shown with levs 9 and with individual drawers 10, and while the lower port-ion may be enclosed to form a cabinet,'the construction shown oi' `one similar thereto is preferred, as the student can sit down and use the same :is a desk and work comfortably and conveniently. This Dart is shown for convenience with a pen tray l1 and inlrwell 12, and there may also be provided between theV two tables, or at some convenient point, gas connections i8 and-electrical connections 142, together with such other conveniences or generally permanent apparatus desired. Where the table is used for chemistryv purposes, there is usually provided :i rzicli l5 upon ifhich may be placed the usuai bottles ontainingg the neces sary reagent-s. As be' ore mentioned, the bottles may be placed on a traf; in the recess 6, and the tre-.Kif containing the bottles `ie removed from the recess and placed on the raclr l5. lt may be mentioned, hoivei'ei, that when the desir is used for other pur-V poses, part 'l'inojv be omitted end such other required.

equipment substituted as may For example, Where the dtslc is o he used iu a physics laliorlitoi'y usually provided the stand-aid l 3.uihicli he porniaiientlilf' or removably secured iu place.

llf'e prefer to constri 't the table so that iii the central portion there provided iihfit may be termed a 'tunnel 15S, in -which nini' he placed the Water and sewer pipes. gas-pipes, `clcctiicil Wiring. etc.. and in this case we Lacasse 'prefer to extend the saine from one end to the other, proriding'a chamber 19 atthe end normally :losed by doors 2O or the equii'a lent. in chamber 19 all connections with the sewer water, gas, electricity, etc., are

l v 1 made with the. building stein so that it is have only one necessarg7 in the laboratory to set of mains coming outof the floor for each complete taole, thereby,7 reducing the expense table substantially inode up of a plurality of Tsbaped units, it being inimaterial as to Whether the units are perinaneiitlyv built together or the units separately built and the sections secured together.

In Fig. 5 We have illustrated suhstantiallgT diagraninuitically a plurality of T-shaped units which may be secured together to forro :i unitaigr constructior. substantially as shown iii l. llhcn 'the desk is made up in this niannei, one unit may he provided with a closed end :it the portion l, while another unit mayv be provided lwith :i closed end, as indicated in Fig. 4, the intermediate units generally left open, if desired, so as to provide a continuoustuniicl through the connected tables. These units may lie secured together in any suitable manner. as for instance, by bolts, screws or the like, or thej;7 be secured so as to he readily1 assembled -without bolts. For example, in Fig. 6 o. very simple construction is shown Iiu which a strap is placed on one 'unit und a cooperating strap on the other.l the lii'o hciiig connected together by a pin QT. his is merely illustra ii'e of one type ot i'hc many possible fastening nieans that can he eniplojaed for the purpose.

'We have illustrated, particularly.' in Figs. T. S, 9 und lt), :in arrangement of 'the utilitics, for cxliinple, plumbing7 wiring, ctc., ii hein;r understood, however. tliut the purticulur arrangement and utilities installed may be varied :is t'ouud desirable. As shown. li'l illustrates the waste pipo which is connected with the sinks h i the drain pipes fil, 32 iepiosontiiig u trap and 35E tho con iicctiou to the sewer. l`lic ii'al'i' mains o1' pipes fll- :iie connected u'ilh the siipply niiiiu :lf3 representing a odutiol i'ali'erranged in the compartment lil. The particular table shown provided with tivo single pantry cocks for cold Water at each sink, and as fcc nascere ,i

shown, pipe 34 is connected with the same through the pipes 36 and 37. Obviously, such other Water supply as desired, as for example hot water, may be supplied by the installation of suitable plumbing. The gas cocks 13 are supplied from a gas pipe 88, 3S) representing a shut oli' valve and 40-41 the branches up to the gas cocks.

"As shown, the gas is arranged at one side of the line of sinks. while on the opposite side is arranged the conduit 42-43 extending to 'the electrical connections 14. As before mentioned, these represent-merelypossible arrangements and installations as the 'same may be modified in almost innumerable Ways, 'some utilities be omitted in some cases and other added lin other cases'. The .sa-nie is intended as illustrative of how .the plumbing and other systems may be installed in the desk or table, for example, at the factory, and then'all connections made with the supply systems in the compartment 19, to which the building utilities may' be extended. This also illustrates how access may behad to any of` the utilities from the cabinet or compartment 19 so as to shut oli vthe same, and makes possible not only a convenient and economicai installation but-also an attractive one.V The end panel35 may be removed also if necessary. -Vhere We refer to utilities in the` claims, we wish to be understood as including anyand all equipment which may be found desirable toinstall in the device.

In Fig. 11, there is shown a simplified gvpe of table embodying the important features of the table previously describedin which 46 represents a table portion and 47 the side extensions,4 the same being supported bythe legs 48, the cabinet portions down below omitted. Obviously', such number and style of drawers.4 etc., as suitable for the purpose .for which the table is intended inay be installed either before installation or'any time thereafter. In the claims-where We refer to thev various portions as table, desk or cabinet portions. we

wishto be- 'understood Yas meaning that these terms may be used interchangeably, the samedeperiding upon the particular type of table or desk constructed. For example, the sinkspreviously referred to might be applied to the portions 46 without there being an'y cabinet 'portion below as shown in Fig. 1. All ofthese accessory' arrangements, utilities, etc., as they might be termed, depend upon the particular use for which the table is to be employed, whether science. biological, art, drawing, agricultural. industrial, etc. l

In Fig. 12, We have illustrated diagramniat-icallyanither type'of unit system in which 5() represents the individual'table or desk portions and 51 the portions uz-"ed in common.. Fig. 13 illustrates still another.

type in which the portions 52 are provided with the side or individual units 53. Fig. 14 illustrates a cent1al.unit 5l provided with the side u nits 55, which may be arranged at one or both sides of the unit 54. Fig. 15 illustrates another type-in which 56-57 is an L-shaped (.'on'truction Which` may be made in units, and to which other .units `may be added, as for example. units similar to 53. These figures are in- Ytended to illustrate possible.- methods of couthe center of a room or away from the wallsA with units 55 on both sides, or against a `side Wall with units 55 on one side only.

lin any of these diagrammatic figures, we have not endeavored to show the sinks, littings and'aecessories for, as before meultioned, 'these'may depend upon the particular. use for which the table is intended.

@he advantage oi' the sectional unit construiction is the convenience in shipping as Well as in the ease with which complete tables of any desired number of units may be set up In this connection it may be vmentioned that table tops may also be made of a size to cover several units, thereby ion also securing the unit together as Well presenting an unbroken appearance.

It is likewise immaterlal as to whether the particular arrangementof drawers or cupboards shown is followed in each instance, as in these details. the desk may be made` to comply witlianyl special .requirellO ments for agiven combination of subjects or studies. ln using the desk. each student has a portion 1 in common with the student effects. Of course, the drawers. compartl ments. etc., may be provided Withalocks and keys, master keys, ete.

The sink construction may be tis desired, and the tops around thc sinks may be made of stone or any other suitable material and connected with the `wood tops -o the cross members by means of feather any equivalent manner.v

The design fills the need particularly of the small high lschools and the consolidated schools, v-:hcre the size ot the classes and size i of the building permit only one room to be devoted to the use ot all the sciences. 'For such schools thc above design is the ideal combination table.y enablingr students of ditl'erent classes or sections at different periods oli the day to perform experiments in ehemisiry. physics, biology, general sciences', or agriculture, as the case may be. The table with its modifications illustrated also solves the problem of providing,- individual science tables tor the large modern high schools or colle-rcs at a minimum expense. The Stu* dents ce one way, are separate and are cach provided n'ith all the working and storage facilities required according to modern laboratory practice. Where the science work of the entire school docs notcover all the periods of the school day,-the table can bc used as a regularrlass room desk for mathematics and other subiects, thereby avoiding vacant rooms and 'euttihg down' the cost per room in neivfbuiidings.

Schools provided Witlilthis table in their science laboratories7 needno separate science lecture room. The students always face the iront ot the room and the instructors table or desk, and all'of the lecture Work and demonstration can be done in the respective laboratories. Furthermore, no definite periods need be set for lecture work or for laboratory Work. The table permits the instructor to gire a lecture` demonstrate or discuss any different phase of an experiment at any time during the laboratory period, and a lecture by the instructor can be i stopped at any time and the students per initted to follow with individual laboratory experiments.

Usually We prefer to make the desk so as to accommodate six students at a time at the table, but regardless of the number of students accommodated at cach table, that is the size of the table, each table Will have y but one set of outlets which may be placed near one end of the room instead of distributing numerous sets ot pipes over the center of the room.

The design combines in its construction -and equipment the facilities of an individual students table, but is so constructed and equipped that the Ycost of installation and connecting up and the providing of building.,r pipes for it is practically as low as for tables/ ofthe orthodox type now in use which are not individual and' require from four to eight or more students to work aside of each other.

Having thus describedv our inveiltion, lt is obvious that various other imhiaterial joints or in means parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

That we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A laboratory table and class desk adapted for the use of a plurality of students, comprising separately formed sink and desk units, and means for securing certain units together to constitute a unitary structure ot' the whole having a line of sinks oppositely extending desk portions extending laterally from said liuc ol' Sinks and` between adjacent pairs of sinks for students laterally of each sink and ad `meent to the outer faces or" the end desk portions and between the oppositely facing intermediate edge portions of the ylesks.

2. A laboratory table and c asse desk adapted for the use of a plurality of students comprisingr a unitary structure having a line of sinks and oppositely extending desk portions extending laterally from said line of sinks and between adjacent pairs of sinks to Iprovide spaces for students laterally ol'l each sink.

A laboratory table and class desk adapted for the use of a plurality of students comprising a unitary structure having,r a line of sinks and desk portions extending outwardly in a direction laterally of said line of sinks and between adjacent airs of sinks to provide spaces'for the stur ents laterally of each sink.

4. A laboratory table and class desk adapted .for the use ot' a plurality of Stndents comprising a unitary struc-ture having a line of'sinksand desk portions extending: outwardly in a direction laterally of said line of sinks and between adjacent pairs of sinks'to provide spaces for the students laterally of each sink, and a common pipe line supplying Water to the sinks.

5. A combined laborator and recitation desk includingr Van elongatedy central portion and a plurality of longitudinally spaced portions extending laterally from the longzitudinal edge thereoiC to form lon'vitudinally separated spaces opposite. said lo gitudinal portion for a plurality of stade s, one extreme end of the central 'portion projecting tionr 6. A laboratory table and/class" desk iucluding an elongated central portion having a line or' longitudinally" vspaced sinks therein, and a plurality'o longitudinally spaced ,desk portions extending laterally fromv the longitudinal edge of said central portion to form longitudinally separated spaces opposite said longitudinal portion for a plurality of stuto provide spaces HNI dents, said student spaces being positioned relative to the sinks so that the sinks are within reach of the students.

7. A laboratory table and class desk including' an elongated ycentral portion having aline of longitudinally spaced sinks therein, and a plurality oftl'ongitudinally Aspaced desk portions extending 'laterally from thelongitudinafl edge of said central portion to form longitudinally separated spaces r.0pposite said longitudinal portion for a .plurality of students, said student spaces being `positioned relative to the sinks so that the at one end -in a chamber for the outlets and connections.

In testimony Whereof, we have hereunto 2i signed our names.

oTIs W. CALDWELL. EARL R. GLEmr.v 

